Bar Review: De Trollekelder Ghent, Belgium

I thought this bar sounded pretty interesting when I read about it online. It was supposed to be troll themed with different trolls and odd decorations around the place. The bar has an interesting history and decor but ultimately it lacks a bit in the one department it should exceed in which is beer. Don't get me wrong there are 8 taps and over 150 bottles available but this place isn't as impressive as other bars I went to in Belgium. I did like the old wooden decor and interior and the bartender was friendly but, I just wasn't as amazed with this bar as I had been with the ones the day before in Antwerp.

The one aspect that left me the most disappointed about the bar was that their house beer, Trollebier Blond, was quite boring tasting. It had a small flavor with a little bit of hops to it and ultimately reminded me of a bad session beer but with 8% alcohol. If a bar has an exclusive beer I like to try it and generally I have been impressed but this was a let down.

When we were there it was fairly crowded and the upstairs seating was reserved for a large party. You could still go up there to use the bathroom but there wasn't much room to walk. Despite it being around 6 pm there was a young guy at a table behind us who was already pretty drunk and being really loud. That is one of the risks of going to bars in Belgium with such high gravity beers though!

I wouldn't consider this bar a must see if you are in Ghent let alone Belgium. Despite that if you are in the area and want to see a quirky bar with unique decoration and a decent beer list stop by.